milium 




LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY 



FROM 



RUTHERFORD'S LAMP. 



Light for the Journey 



RUTHERFORD'S LAMP 



ROBERT G. SEYMOUR, D. D. 




PHILADELPHIA . 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 
1420 Chestnut Street. 




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S8G, by the 

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



PREFATORY NOTE. 



Often a simply uttered word, in the name of 
the Master, has lifted the cloud from the soul, 
and given the Christian Pilgrim new strength 
and hope ; these words selected from the saintly 
Rutherford's letters, arranged to help the Pil- 
grim on his journey, are sent forth in hope of 
quickening Christian life in those who declare 
" they seek a better country, that is, an heavenly." 
One letter is given entire, that the style of his 
epistles (which came as rays of light from his 
prison-house) may be seen. R. G. S. 

Boston, Mass., 1886. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Prefatory Note 7 

Life of Rutherford 9 

Letter to John Clark 12 

Pilgrim Marks 15 

Faith • 15 

Self-Renunciation 18 

Prayer 20 

Watchfulness 21 

Patience 22 

Inward Life 23 

Joy 27 

Confession 29 

Attachment to Christ 30 

Pilgrim Paths 31 

7 



8 CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Pilgrim Guide 37 

Pilgrim Company 41 

Pilgrim Trials 44 

Pilgrim Crosses 60 

Pilgrim Exercises 63 

Pilgrim Safety 67 

Pilgrim Desires 75 

Pilgrim Judgment 77 

Pilgrim Choice 83 

Pilgrim Rest 93 

Pilgrim Fare 95 

Pilgrim Perseverance 102 

Pilgrim Hopes 105 

Pilgrim Wages 110 

Pilgrim Value 117 

Pilgrim End 118 

Rutherford's Hymn 125 



SAMUEL RUTHERFORD. 



QAMUEL RUTHERFORD was born about 
^ the year 1600, in Nisbet, Roxburghshire, 
Scotland. He was educated in the school at 
Jedburgh Abbey, and in Edinburgh College, 
where in 1621 he received the degree of A. M. 
He was soon after made a Professor in this col- 
lege, which position he held but a short time. 
He studied theology, and after yielding himself 
up to the Master, became the minister of Anwoth 
in 1627. It was a rural parish — but he loved 
the sheep that were scattered over the hills and 
in the valleys. His ministry was unceasing ; he 
labored night and day. It was said of him, " He 
is always praying, always preaching, always visit- 
ing the sick, always catechizing, always writing 
and studying." His mind was full of Christ. \ 
His biographer relates that he was known to 



10 MEMORIAL. 

talk about him until he fell asleep, and even to 
speak of him during his sleep. His ministry was 
in the stormy time when King Charles and 
Archbishop Laud attempted to coerce the Scot- 
tish people into conformity with the ritualism of 
the English Church — to transform Presbyterian- 
ism into Episcopacy. In July 27, 1636, Ruther- 
ford was summoned before the High Commission 
Court, because of non-conformity — was sentenced 
to be deprived of his ministry, and banished to 
Aberdeen. From this place came the rich letters, 
(from which most of the following pages are ex- 
tracted). Many of them were dated " Christ's palace 
in Aberdeen." He was confined to these limits 
for nearly two years. The Covenant became vic- 
torious in Scotland. Rutherford went back to An- 
woth ; then entered into the work of reformation, 
visiting different parts of Scotland. In 1639 he 
was appointed Professor in St. Andrew's. In 
July, 1643, he was sent as one of the Commission- 
ers of Scotland to the Westminster Assembly. 
In the library at the Edinburgh University there 
is a MS. sketch of the Shorter Catechism in 



MEMORIAL. 11 

Rutherford's handwriting. From the Assembly, 
he went back to St. Andrew's, to preach and to 
teach. In 1660, he published a work, Lex Rex, 
which gave offence to the government, and he 
was summoned to the next Parliament to answer 
the charge of high treason — but the summons 
came to him on his death bed. On hearing it he 
said : " I behove to answer my first summons ; 
and ere your day arrive, I will be where few 
kings and great folks come ! " On the last day 
of his sickness he said, " this night will close the 
door, and fasten my anchor within the veil, and 
I shall go away in a sleep by five o'clock in the 
morning." At that hour, March 20, 1661, in ^ 
his home at St. Andrew's, he fell asleep. His last 
words were, " Glory, glory, dwelleth in Imman- 
uel's land." 



TO JOHN CLARK. 



T OVING BROTHER:— Hold fast Christ 
-*-^ without wavering, and contend for the 
faith, because Christ is not easily gotten nor 
kept. The lazy professor has put heaven, as it 
were, at the very next door, and thinketh to fly 
up to heaven in his bed, and in a night dream ; 
but, truly that is not so easy a thing as most men 
believe. Christ himself did sweat ere he won 
this city, howbeit, he was the free-born Heir. It 
is Christianity, my heart, to be sincere, unfeigned, 
honest, and upright-hearted before God ; and to 
live and serve God, suppose there was not one 
man nor woman in all the world dwelling beside 
you, to eye you. Any little grace that ye have, 
- see that it be sound and true. Ye may put the 
difference between you and reprobates, if ye have 



LETTER. 13 

these marks : — 1. If ye prize Christ and his truth 
so as ye will sell all and buy him, and suffer 
for it. 2. If the love of Christ keepeth you 
back from sinning, more than the law or fear of 
hell. 3. If ye be humble and deny your own 
will, wit, credit, ease, honor, the world, and the 
vanity and glory of it. 4. Your profession must 
not be barren and void of good works. 5. Ye 
must in all things aim at God's honor ; ye must 
eat, drink, sleep, buy, sell, sit, stand, speak, pray, 
read, and hear the word, with a heart-purpose 
that God may be honored. 6. Ye must show 
yourself an enemy to sin, and reprove the works 
of darkness, such as drunkenness, swearing, and 
lying, albeit the company should hate you for so 
doing. 7. Keep in mind the truth of God, that 
ye heard me teach, and have nothing to do with 
the corruptions and new guises entered into the 
house of God. 8. Make conscience of your call- 
ing, in covenants, in buying and selling. 9. Ac- 
quaint yourself with daily praying; commit all 
your ways and actions to God, by prayer, suppli- 
cation, and thanksgiving • and count not much 



14 LETTER. 

of being mocked; for Christ Jesus was mocked 

before you. 

Persuade yourself that this is the way of peace, 
which I now suffer for. I dare go to death and 
eternity with it, though men may possibly seek 
another way. Remember me in your prayers, 
and the state of this oppressed Church. Grace 

be with you. 

Your soul's well-wisher, 

S. R. 

Aberdeen, 1637. 



r, 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 



PILGRIM MARKS. 



FAITH. 

But the just shall live by his faith. — Habakkuk ii. 4. 

T)UT in this trial — all honor to our princely 
■*-* and royal King — faith saileth before the 
wind, with top-sail up, and carrieth the pas- 
senger through. I lay inhibitions upon my 
thoughts, that they receive no slanders of my 
only, only Beloved. Let him even say out of his 
own mouth : "There is no hope" ; yet I will die 
in that sweet beguile (delusion). " It is not so. 
I shall see the salvation of God." Let me be 
deceived really, and never win to dry land : it is 
my joy to believe under the water, and to die 

with faith in my hand gripping Christ. 

15 



16 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Faith is exceedingly charitable, and believeth 
no evil of God. 



It is faith, indeed, to believe without a pledge, 
and to hold the heart constant at this work. 
And when we doubt, to run to the Law and to 
the Testimony, and stay there. 

All that I dow [am able to] do is to hold out a 
lame faith to Christ, like a beggar holding out a 
stump, instead of an arm or leg, and crying, 
" Lord Jesus, work a miracle ! " Oh, what would 
I give to have hands and arms to grip strongly, 
and fold heartsomely, about Christ's neck, and 
to have my claim made good with real posses- 



It is faith's work to claim and challenge lov- 
ing-kindness out of all the roughest strokes of 
God. Do that for the Lord which ye will do for 
time ; time will calm your heart at that which 
God hath done, and let our Lord have it now. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 17 

Honest sighing is faith breathing and whisper- 
ing him in the ear : the life is not out of faith, 
where there is sighing, looking up with the eyes, 
and breathing toward God. (Lam. iii. 56) : 
"Hide not thine ear at my breathing." 



Borrow joy and comfort from the Comforter. 
Bid the Spirit do his office in you ; and remem- 
ber that faith is one thing, and the feeling and 
notice of faith another. 



I find it hard work to believe, when the course 
of Providence goeth cross-wise to our faith, and 
when misted souls in a dark night cannot know 
east by west, and our sea-compass seemeth to fail 
us. Every man is a believer in daylight ; a fair 
day seemeth to be made all of faith and hope. 
What a trial of gold is it, to smoke it a little 
above the fire ? But to keep gold perfectly yel- 
low-colored amidst the flames, and to be turned 
from vessel to vessel, and yet to cause our furnace 
to sound, and to speak, and to cry the praises of 
the Lord, is another matter. 



18 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

SELF-BENUNCIATION. 

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, aud follow me.— 
Matthew xvi. 24. 

Let me in treat you in Christ's name, to keep 
a good conscience in your proceedings in that 
matter, and beware of yourself. Yourself is a 
more dangerous enemy than I or any without 
you. Innocence and an upright cause is a good 
advocate before God, and will plead for you and 
shall win your cause ; and count much of your 
Master's approbation and his smiling. 



Be patient. Christ went to heaven with many 
a wrong. His visage and countenance were all 
marred more than the sons of men. Ye may 
•not be above your Master. Many a black stroke 
received innocent Jesus, and he received no 
mends, but referred them all to the great Court- 
■day, when all things shall be righted. 



It is not many years since the apostate 
angels made a question, whether their will or 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 19 

the will of the Creator should be done ; and 
since that time forward mankind hath always in 
that same suit of law, compeared [appeared in 
court] to plead with them against God, in daily 
repining against his will; but the Lord being 
both party and judge hath obtained a decreet, 
[sentence] and saith, (Isa. xlvi. 10): "My coun- 
sel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." 



Free-will, a weather-cock, turning at a ser- 
pent's tongue, a tutor that cowped [upset] our 
father Adam, unto us; and brought down the 
house and sold the land ; and sent the father, the 
mother, and all the bairns through the earth to 
beg their bread. Nature in the Gospel hath but 
cracked a credit. 

Sanctification and mortification of our lusts is 
the hardest part of Christianity. 



I think I would fain let Christ alone, and give 
him leave to do with me what he pleaseth, if he 
would smile upon me. Verily we know not what 



20 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

evil it is to spill [spoil] and indulge ourselves, 
and to make an idol of our will. I Mas once 
that I would not eat except I had waled [care- 
fully selected] meat ; now I dare not complain 
of the crumbs and parings under his table. I 
was once that I would make the house ado, if I 
saw not the world carved and set in order to my 
liking ; now I am silent when I see God hath set 
servants on horseback and is fattening and feed- 
ing the children of perdition. I pray God that 
I may never find my will again. Oh, if Christ 
would subject my will to his, and trample it 
under his feet, and liberate me from that lawless 
lord ! 



PKAYER. 

Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. — Luke xviii. 1. 

Say, " I shall rather spill [spoil] twenty prayers 
than not pray at all. Let my broken words go 
up to Heaven ; when they come up into the 
Great Angel's golden censer, that Compassionate 
Advocate will put together my broken prayers, 



LIGHT FOE THE JOUHNEY. 21 

and perfume them." Words are but accidents 
of prayers. 

The word of God maketh reading (1 Tim. iv. 
13), and praying (1 Thess. v. 17,) two differ- 
ent worships. In reading, God speaketh to us 
(2 Kings xxii. 10, 11); in praying, we speak to 
God (Psalm xxii. 2, and xxviii. 1). 



A promise to hear any prayer, except the 
pouring out of the soul to God, we can never 
read. 



It were good that we should knock and rap 
at the Lord's door ; we may not live to knock 
oftener than twice or thrice — he knoweth the 
knock of his friends. 



WATCHFULNESS. 

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. — Mark xiii. 37. 

Look for crosses ; and while it is fair weather, 
mend the sails of the ship. 



22 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

This is the accepted time, this is the day of 
salvation. Play the merchant; for ye cannot 
expect another market-day when this is done. 



PATIENCE. 

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will 
of God, ye might receive the promise.-Hebrews x. 36. 

Run vour race with patience; let God have 
his own, and ask of him instead of your daughter, 
w hom he hath taken from you, the daughter of 
faith, which is patience; and in patience possess 
your soul. m . 

Put on love, and brotherly kindness, and long- 
suffering Wait as long upon the favor and 
turned hearts of enemies as your Christ waited 
upon you, and as dear Jesus stood at your soul's 
door with dewy and rainy locks, the long cold 
night Be angry, but sin not. I persuade myself 
that that holy unction within you, which teacheth 
you all things, is also saying, " Overcome evil 
with good." 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 23 

Give Christ time to end his work in your 
heart. Hold on in feeling and bewailing your 
hardness ; for that is softness to feel hardness. 



But there is required patience on our part 
until the summer fruit in heaven be ripe for us. 
It is in the bud, and there be many things to do 
before our harvest come : and we take ill with it, 
and can hardly endure to set our paper-face to 
one of Christ's storms, and to go to heaven with 
wet feet, and pain, and sorrow. We love to 
carry a heaven to heaven with us, and we would 
have two summers in one year, and no less than 
two heavens ; but this will not do for us : — one, 
and such a one I may suffice us well enough : — 
the man, Christ, got but one only, and shall we 
have two ? 



INWAKD LIFE. 



Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts : and in the hid- 
den part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. — Psalm li. 6. 

The wound of a wounded conscience is a most 
inexpressible terror ; none can describe it but he 



24 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

that hath tasted the same. It inipaireth the 
health, drieth up the blood, wasteth away the 
marrow, pineth away the flesh, consumeth away 
the bones, maketh pleasure painful, and shorten- 
eth life. No wisdom can counsel it, no counsel 
can advise it, no advice can persuade it, no as- 
suagement can cure it, no eloquence can move 
it, no power can overcome it, no spectre affray 
it, no enchanter charm it. 



Think well of the visitations of your Lord : for 
I find one thing, which I saw not well before, 
that when the saints are under trials and well 
humbled, little sins raise great cries and war- 
shouts in the conscience; and in prosperity con- 
science is a pope to give dispensations, and let 
out and in, and give latitude and elbow-room to 
our heart. 



Keep a good conscience, as I trust ye do. Ye 
live not upon men's opinions : gold may be gold, 
and have the king's stamp upon it, when it is 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 25 

trampled upon by men. Happy are ye when 
the world trampleth upon you in your credit and 
good name, yet ye are the Lord's gold, stamped 
with the King of heaven's image, and sealed by 
his Spirit unto the day of redemption. Pray for 
the spirit of love. (1 Cor. xiii. 7.) Love " bear- 
eth all things, believeth all things, endureth all 
things." 



It is easy to put religion to a market and pub- 
lic fair, but, alas ! it is not so soon made eye- 
sweet for Christ. 



The Bible beguiled the Pharisees, and so may I 
be misled. Therefore as night-watchers hold one 
another waking by speaking to one another, so 
have we need to hold one another on foot : sleep 
stealeth away the light of watching, even the 
light that reproveth sleeping. I doubt not that 
more would fetch heaven if they believed not 
heaven to be at the next door. The world's 
negative holiness, no adulterer, no murderer, no 
thief, no cozener, maketh men believe they are 



26 LIGHT FOR TIIE JOURNEY. 

already glorified saints ; but the sixth chapter to 
the Hebrews may affright us all. When we hear 
that men may take of the gifts and common 
graces of the Holy Spirit, and a taste of the powers 
of the world to come, to hell with them. Here is 
reprobate silver, which yet seemeth to have the 
King's image and superscription upon it. 



False under-water not seen in the ground of 
an enlightened conscience, is dangerous ; so is 
often failing and sinning against light. Know 
this, that those who never had sick nights or days 
in conscience for sin, cannot have but such a 
peace with God as will undercoat and break the 
flesh again, and end in a sad war at death. Oh, 
how fearfully are thousands beguiled with false, 
hide-grown-over old sins, as if the soul were 
cured and healed ! 



If men would have something to do with their 
hearts and their thoughts, that are always roll- 
ing up and down like men with oars in a boat, 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 27 

after sinful vanities, they might find great and 
sweet employment to their thoughts upon Christ. 
If these frothy, fluctuating, and restless hearts of 
ours would come all about Christ, and look into 
his love, to bottomless love, to the depth of 
mercy, to the unsearchable riches of his grace, to 
enquire after and to search into the beauty of 
God in Christ, they would be swallowed up in 
the depth and height, length and breadth, of his 
goodness. Oh, if men would draw the curtains, 
and look into the inner side of the ark, and be- 
hold how the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth 
in him bodily ! 



JOY. 

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might re- 
main in you, and that your joy might be full. — John xv. 11. 

Faith may dance, because Christ singeth ; and 
we may come into the choir and lift our hoarse 
and rough voices, and chirp, and sing, and shout 
for joy with our Lord Jesus. We see oxen going 
to the shambles leaping and startling ; we see 



28 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

God's fed oxen, prepared for the day of slaugh- 
ter, go dancing and singing down to the black 
chambers of hell ; and why should we go to heaven 
weeping, as if we were likely to fall down 
through the earth with sorrow ? If God were 
dead, (I may speak so with reverence of him 
who liveth forever and ever), and Christ buried, 
and rotting among the worms, we might have 
cause to look like dead folks : but " the Lord 
liveth, and blessed be the rock of our salvation." 
Ps. xviii. 46. Kone have right to joy but we ; 
for joy is sown for us, and an ill summer or har- 
vest will not spill [spoil] the crop. 



Oh, what a sweet step were it up to my Father's 
house, through ten deaths, for the truth and 
cause of that unknown, and so not half well- 
loved Plant of Renown, the man called the 
Branch, the chief among ten thousand, the fair- 
est among the sons of men ! Oh, what unseen 
joys, how many hidden heart-burnings of love 
are in the remnants of the sufferings of Christ ! 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 29 

CONFESSION. 

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord. — Isaiah xliii. 10. 

Oh, that every hair of my head, and every 
member and every bone in my body, were a man 
to witness a fair confession for him ! I should 
think all too little for him. When I look over 
beyond the line, and beyond death, to the laugh- 
ing side of the world, I triumph and ride upon 
the high places of Jacob ; howbeit, otherwise I 
am a faint, dead hearted, cowardly man, often 
borne down, and hungry in waiting for the mar- 
riage supper of the Lamb. Nevertheless, I 
think it the Lord's wise love that feedeth us with 
hunger, and maketh us fat with wants and de- 
sertions. 



Ye are many ways blessed of God, who have 
taken upon you to come out to the streets with 
Christ on your forehead, when so many are 
ashamed of him, and hide him, as it were, under 
their cloak, as if he were a stolen Christ. 

3* 



30 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

ATTACHMENT TO CHKIST. 

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth 
that I desire beside thee. — Psalm lxxiii. 25. 

And among many marks that we are on this 
journey, and under sail toward heaven, this is 
one, when the love of God so filleth our hearts 
that we forget to love and care too much for the 
having and wanting other things ; as one extreme 
heat burneth out another. By this, madam, ye 
know that ye have betrothed your soul in mar- 
riage to Christ, when ye do make but small 
reckoning of all other suitors or wooers, and 
when ye can, (having little in hand but much in 
hope) live as a young heir during the time of 
his non-age and minority, being content to be as 
hardly handled and under as precise a reckoning 
as servants, because his hope is upon the inher- 
itance. 



Grace upon you and your children. Lord, 
make them corner-stones in Jerusalem, and give 
them grace in their youth to take band with the 
fair, chief Corner-stone, who was hewed out 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 31 

of the mountain without hands, and got many a 
knock with his Father's fore-hammer, and en- 
dured them all, and the stone did neither cleave 
nor break. Upon that Stone your soul doth 
well to lie. 

It is easy to master an arrow, and to set it 
right ere the string be drawn ; but when once it 
is shot, and in the air, and the flight begun, then 
ye have no power at all to command it. It were 
a blessed thing, if your love could now level only 
at Christ, if his fair face were the black of the 
mark ye shot at; for when your love is loosed, 
and hath taken a gadding journey to seek an 
unknown and strange lover, ye shall not then 
have power to call home the arrow, or to be 
master of your love — and ye will hardly give 
Christ what ye scarcely have yourself. 



PILGKIM PATHS. 

For even hereunto were ye called : because Christ also suffered 
for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. — 
1 Peter ii. 21. 

Madam, I persuade myself that this world is 



32 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

to you an unco [strange] inn ; and that ye are 
like a traveler, who hath his bundle upon his 
back, and his staff in his hand, and his feet upon 
the door-threshold. Go forward, honorable and 
elect lady, in the strength of your Lord, (let the 
world bide at home and keep the house), with 
your face toward him who longeth more for a 
sight of you than ye can for him. 



Ye have gotten a great advantage in the way 
to heaven that ye have started to the gate in 
the morning. Like a fool, as I w T as, I suffered 
my sun to be high in the heaven, and near after- 
noon, before ever I took the gate by the end. I 
pray you now keep the advantage ye have. 



Little holiness in our balance is much because 
it is our holiness; and we love to lay small 
burdens upon our soft natures, and to make a 
fair court-way to heaven ; aud I know it were 
necessary to take more pains than we do, and 
not make heaven a city more easily taken than 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 33 

God hath made it. I persuade myself that many 
runners will come short and shall get a disap- 
pointment. Oh ! how easy is it to deceive our- 
selves, and to sleep and wish that heaven may 
fall down into our laps. 



It is a mercy in this stormy sea to get a second 
wind, for none of the saints get a first ; but they 
wust take the winds as the Lord of the seas 
causeth them to blow : and the wind as the Lord 
and Master of the winds hath ordered it. If 
contentment were here, heaven were not heaven. 
. . Ye ought to bless your Lord that it is not 
worse ; we live in a sea where many have suffered 
shipwreck, and have need that Christ sit at the 
helm of the ship. It is a mercy to win to heaven, 
though with much hard toil and heavy labor, 
and to take it by violence, ill and well as it may 
be. Better go swimming and wet through our 
waters than drown by the way; especially now 
when truth suffereth, and great men bid Christ 
sit lower and lower and contract himself into 
less bounds, as if he took too much room. 



34 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

If ve were not strangers here, the dogs of the 
world would not bark at you. Ye shall see all 
the windings and turnings that are in your 
way to heaven out of God's word : for he 
will not lead you to the kingdom at the nearest ; 
but you must go through " honor and dishonor, 
by evil report and good report ; as deceivers and 
vet true; as unknown yet well known; as dy- 
ing and behold we live ; as chastened and not 
killed ; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing." 



It must be a way narrower and straighter than 
we conceive, for the righteous shall scarcely be 
saved. It were good to take a more judicious 
view of Christianity ; for I have been doubting, 
if ever I knew any more of Christianity than the 
letters of the name. I will not lie on my Lord. 
I often find much joy and unspeakable comfort in 
his presence who sent me hither ; and I trust this 
house of my pilgrimage shall be my palace, my 
garden of delights ; and that Christ will be kind 
to poor, sold Joseph, who is separated from his 
brethren. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 35 

I heartily desire that ye would mind your 
country and consider to what airth [point of 
compass] your soul setteth its face ; for all come 
not home at night, who suppose that they have 
set their face heavenward. It is a woful thing 
to die, and miss heaven, and to lose house-room 
with Christ at night ; it is an evil journey where 
travelers are benighted in the fields. I persuade 
myself that thousands shall be deceived and 
ashamed of their hope ; because they cast their 
anchor in sinking sands, they must lose it. 



We run our souls out of breath and tire them 
in coursing and galloping after our night-dreams 
(such are the rovings of our miscarrying hearts) 
to get some created good thing in this life, and 
on this side of death. We would fain stay and 
spin out a heaven to ourselves on this side of the 
water ; but sorrow, want, changes, crosses, and 
sin are both woof and warp in that ill-spun web. 



Read over your life, with the light of God's 



36 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

davlight and sun ; for salvation is not casten 
down at every man's door. It is good to look to 
your compass, and all ye have need of, ere ye 
take shipping ; for no wind can blow you back 



Faint not; the miles to heaven are but few 

and short. 



But I hold my peace, because he hath done it. 
My shallow and ebb thoughts are not the com- 
pass which Christ saileth by. I leave his ways 
to himself, for they are far, far above me. 



Only let us not weary — the miles to that land 
are fewer and shorter than when we first believed. 
Strangers are not wise to quarrel with their host 
and complain of their lodging. It is a foul way, 
but a fair home. Oh, that I had such grapes 
and clusters out of the land as I have sometimes 
seen and tasted ! ... but the hope of it in the 
end is a heartsome convoy in the way. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 37 

It is either the way of peace, or we are yet in 
our sinSj and have missed the way. 



PILGEIM GUIDE. 



He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the 
springs of water shall he guide them. — Isa. xlix. : 10. 

But I entreat you in Christ's name when my 
soul is under wrestlings, and seeketh direction 
from our Lord, whither I shall go, give me lib- 
erty to advise, and try all airts (points of com- 
pass) and paths, to see whether he goeth before 
me and leadeth me; for if I were assured of 
God's call to your town, let my arm fall from my 
shoulder-blade and lose power, and my right eye 
be dried up, which is the judgment of the idol 
shepherd (Zech. xi. 17), if I would not swim 
through the water without a boat ere I sat his 
bidding. 



Your guide is good company, and knoweth all 
the miles, and the ups and downs in the way ; — 
the nearer the morning the darker. 



38 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Oat of whatever quarter the wind blow it will 
blow us on our Lord. No winds can blow our 
sails overboard; because Christ's skill, and honor 
of his wisdom, are empowered and laid down at 
the stake of the sea-passengers, that he shall put 
them safe off his hand on the shore, in his Father's 
known bounds, or native home ground. 



There be many Christians, most like young 
sailors, who think the shore and the whole land 
do move, when the ship and they themselves are 
moved ; just so not a few do imagine that God 
moveth, and saileth and changeth places, because 
their giddy souls are under sail, and subject to 
alteration, to ebbing and flowing — but thefounda- 
dation of God standeth sure. 



Your old Guide will go before you and take 
your hand — his love to you will not grow sour or 
wear out of date as the love of men, which grow- 
eth old and grey-headed often before themselves. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 39 

The Christ that saveth you is a speaking 
Christ ; the church knoweih him by his voice, 
and can discern his voice among a thousand. I 
say this to the end that ye should not love those 
marks of anti-Christian ceremonies, which the 
church where ye are for a time hath casten over 
the Christ whom your soul loveth. This is to set 
before you a dumb Christ. But when our Lord 
cometh, he speaketh to the heart, in the simpli- 
city of the gospel. 



But who can blame Christ to take me on be- 
hind him, if I may say so, on his white horse, or 
in his chariot, paved with love, through a water ? 
Will not a father take his little dawted Davie 
[fondled boy] in his arms and carry him over a 
ditch or a mire ? My short legs could not step 
over this lair, or sinking mire; and therefore my 
Lord Jesus will bear me through. 



If Christ had, in this matter, been as wilful 
and short as I was, my faith had gone over the 



40 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

brae, and broken its neck. But we were well 
met, a hasty fool, and a wise, patient, and meek 
Saviour. He took no law-advantage of my folly, 
but waited on till my ill blood was fallen, and 
my drumbled [muddied] and troubled well began 
to clear. He was never a whit angry at the 
fever-ravings of a poor, tempted sinner ; but he 
mercifully forgave, and came, as it well becom- 
eth him, with grace and new comfort to a sinner 
who deserved the contrary. 



I see that infinite wisdom is the mother of his 
judgment, and that his ways are past finding out. 



Sinners can do nothing but make wounds that 
Christ may heal them ; and make debts that he 
may pay them ; and make falls that he may raise 
them; and make deaths that he may quicken 
them ; and spin out and dig hells that he may 
ransom them. Now I will bless the Lord, that 
ever there was such a thing as the free grace of 
God, and a free ransom given for sold souls ; 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 41 

only, alas ! guiltiness maketh me ashamed to 
apply Christ, and to think it pride in me to put 
out my unclean and withered hand to such a 
Saviour. 



PILGKIM COMPANY. 



But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the liv- 
ing God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable com- 
pany of angels, 

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are 
written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits 
of just men made perfect, 

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. — Hebrews xii. 
22-24. 

Ye are now your lone ; but ye may have, for 
the seeking, Three always in your company, the 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. — I trust they are 
near you. Ye are now deprived of the comfort 
of a lively ministry ; so was Israel in their cap- 
tivity, yet hear God's promise to them, (Ez. xi. 
16): "Therefore say, thus saith the Lord God, 
' although I have cast them far off among the 

heathen, and although I have scattered them 
4* 



42 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

among the countries, yet I will be to them as a 
little sanctuary in the countries where they shall 
come ! ' " 



In my prison he hath shown me daylight ; and 
he dought not [was not able to] hide his love 
any longer. Christ was disguised and masked, 
and I apprehended it was not he ; and he hath 
said " It is I, be not afraid ! " and now his love 
is better than wine. 



Go where ye will, ye cannot go from under 
your Shadow, which is broader than many king- 
doms. Ye change lodgings and countries ; but 
the same Lord is before you, if ye were car- 
ried away captive to the other side of the sun, or 
as far as the rising of the morning star ! 



He would captivate and gain the affection of 
any creature that saw his face. Since he looked 
on me, and gave me a sight of his fair love, he 
gained my heart wholly, and got away with it ; 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 43 

well, well may he brook [enjoy] it ; he shall 
keep it long ere I fetch it from him. But I shall 
tell you what ye should do. Treat him well, 
give him the chair and the board-head, and make 
him welcome to the mean portion ye have ; a 
good supper and kind entertainment maketh the 
guests love the inn the better. 



Come in, come in, to Christ, and see what ye 
want, and find it in him : — he is the short cut, 
and the nearest way to an outgate of all your 
burdens. I dare avouch ye shall be dearly wel- 
come to him ; my soul would be glad to take part 
of the joy ye should have in him. I dare say 
that angels' pens, angels' tongues, nay, as many 
worlds of angels as there are drops of water in 
all the seas, and fountains and rivers of the 
earth, cannot paint him out to you. 



There are many heads lying in Christ's bosom, 
but there is room for yours among the rest ; and 
therefore go on, and let hope go before you. 



44 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

How can we be enlightened when we turn our 
back upon the sun ? and mustwe not be withered 
when we leave the fountain ? 



Take as' many to heaven with you as ye are 
able to draw ; the more ye draw with you, ye 
shall be the welcomer yourself. Be no niggard 
or sparing churl of the grace of God. 



PILGKIM TKIALS. 



Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is 
to try you, as though some, strange thing happened unto you.— 
1 Peter iv. 12. 

Oh, what owe I to the file, to the hammer, to 
the furnace of my Lord Jesus ! who hath now 
let me see how good the wheat of Christ is, that 
goeth through his mill and his oven, to make 
bread for his own table. Grace tried is better 
than grace, and it is more than grace ; it is glory 
in its infancy. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 45 

Why should I start at the plough of my Lord, 
that maketh deep furrows on ray soul ? I know 
that he is no idle husbandman ; he purposeth a 
crop. Oh, that this white, withered lea-ground 
were made fertile to bear a crop for him, by 
whom it is so painfully dressed ; and that this 
fallow-ground were broken up! 



Keep an ear open to Christ, who can speak for 
himself, howbeit your visitations, and your own 
sense should dream hard things of his love and 
favor. Our Lord never getteth so kind a look 
of us, nor our love in such a degree, nor our faith 
in such a measure of steadfastness, as he getteth 
out of the furnace of our tempting fears and 
sharp trials. 



Through many afflictions we must enter into 
the kingdom of God. Not only by them, but 
through them, we must go ; and wiles will not 
take us past the cross : — it is folly to think to 
steal to heaven with a whole skin. 



46 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

They are blessed who suffer and sin not, for 
suffering is the badge which Christ has put upon 
his followers. Take what way we can to heaven, 
the way is hedged with crosses ; there is no way 
but to break through them. 



It is but our soft flesh that hath raised a slander 
on the cross of Christ ; I see now the white side 
of it ; my Lord's chains are all over-gilded. 



And, madam, if ye love him, ye will keep his 
commandments ; and this is not one of the least, 
to lay your neck cheerfully and willingly under 
the yoke of Jesus Christ ; for I trust that your 
Ladyship did contract and bargain with the Son 
of God, to follow him upon these terms, that by 
his grace ye should endure hardships, and suffer 
affliction as the soldier of Christ. They are not 
worthy of Jesus who will not take a blow for 
their Master's sake. As for our glorious Peace- 
maker, when he came to make up the friendship 
betwixt God and us, God bruised him, aud struck 



LIGHT FOE THE JOURNEY. 47 

him; the sinful world also did beat him, and cru- 
cify him : yet he took buffets of both the parties : 
and — honor to the Lord Jesus — he would not 
leave the field until he had made peace betwixt 
the parties. I persuade myself that your, suffer- 
ings are but like your Saviour's (yea, incompar- 
ably less and lighter), which are called but a 
bruising of his heel (Genesis iii. 15), a wound far 
from the heart. 



We expect a trial ; God's wheat in this land 
must go through Satan's sieve, but their faith 
shall not fail. 



Be content to wade through the waters betwixt 
you and glory with him, holding his right hand 
fast ; for he knoweth all the ford3. Howbeit ye 
may be ducked, yet ye cannot drown, being in his 
company ; and ye may, all the way to glory, see 
the way bedewed with his blood, who is the Fore- 
runner. Be not afraid, therefore, when ye come 
even to the black and swelling river of death, to 
put in your foot and wade after him. The cur- 



48 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

rent, how strong soever, cannot carry you down 
the water to hell ; the death and resurrection of 
the Son of God are stepping-stones, and a stay 
to you. Let down your feet, by faith, upon these 
stones, and go through as on dry land. 



Our sins withhold good things from us. 



Whether God come to his children with a rod 
or a crown, if he come himself with it, it is well. 
Welcome, welcome, Jesus, what way soever thou 
comest, if we can get a sight of thee. And sure 
I am that it is better to be sick, providing Christ 
come to the bed-side, and draw by the curtains 
and say, " Courage ! I am thy salvation ! " than 
to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never 
be visited of God. 



And take you no fear that he will take your 
part, and then you are strong enough. What ? 
Howbeit ye receive indignities, for your Lord's 
sake, let it be so. When he will put his holy 
hand up to your face in heaven, and dry your 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 49 

face, and wipe the tears from your eyes, judge ye 
if ye will not have cause then to rejoice ? 



Ye will find in Christianity that God aimeth 
in all his dealings with his children to bring them 
to a high contempt of, and deadly feud with the 
world ; and to set a high price upon Christ, and 
to think him one who cannot be bought for gold, 
and well worth the fighting for. . . . When 
he is striking you in love, beware to strike again ; 
that is dangerous, for those who strike again shall 
get the last blow. 

Be exceedingly charitable of your dear Lord. 

As there be some friends worldly of whom ye 

will not entertain an ill thought, far more ought 

ye to believe good evermore of your dear Friend, 

that lovely, fair Person, Jesus Christ. The thorn 

is one of the most cursed, and angry, and 

crabbed weeds that the earth yieldeth, and yet 

out of it springeth the rose, one of the most 

sweetly smelled flowers, and most delightful to ' 

the eye, that the earth hath. Your Lord will 
5 



50 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

make joy and gladness out of your afflictions, for 
all his roses have a fragrant smell. 



I know that an afflicted life looketh very like 
the way that leadeth to the kingdom ; for the 
apostle hath drawn the line, and the King's mar- 
ket-way is through much tribulation, to the 
kingdom. 



It is better to weep with Jerusalem in the fore- 
noon than to weep with Babel after noon, in the 
end of the day. Our day of laughter and re- 
joicing is coming ; yet a little while and ye shall 
see the salvation of God. 



Love thinketh no evil ; if ye were not Christ's 
wheat, appointed to be bread in his house, he 
would not grind you. But keep the middle line, 
neither despise nor faint (Heb. xii. 6). You see 
that your Father is homely with you. Strokes 
of a father evidence kindness and care — take 
them so. 

If ye would lay the price ye give out (which 



LIGHT FOB THE JOURNEY. 51 

is but some few years, pain and trouble) beside 
the commodities ye are to receive, ye would see 
that they were not worthy to be laid in the bal- 
ance together; but it is nature that maketh you 
look to what ye give out, and weakness of faith 
that hindereth you to see what ye shall take in. 
Amend your hope, and trust [credit] your faith- 
ful Lord awhile. He maketh himself your debt- 
or in the New Covenant ; he is honest — take his 
word (Nahum i. 9) : "Affliction shall not rise up 
the second time." (Rev. xxi. 7.) — " He that 
overcometh shall inherit all things." 



And I dare say that God's hammering of you 
from your youth is only to make you a fair- 
carved stone in the high upper temple of the 
New Jerusalem. 



And howbeit I may possibly prove a faint- 
hearted, unwise man in that, yet I dare to say 
that I intend otherwise ; and I desire not to go 
on the lee-side, or sunny-side of religion, to put 
truth betwixt me and a storm — my Saviour did 



52 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

not so for me, who in his suffering took the windy 
side of the hill. 

This is your glory that Christ hath put you 
into the roll with himself, and the rest of the 
witnesses, who are come out of great tribulation, 
and have washed their garments, and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb. 



Let us be putting on God's armor and be strong 
in the Lord. If the devil and Zion's enemies 
strike a hole in that armor, let our Lord see to 
that ; let us put it on and stand. We have Jesus 
on our side, and they are not worthy of such a 
Captain, who would not take a blow at his back. 
We are in sight of his colors ; his banner over us 
is love. Look up to that white banner and stand ; 
I persuade you in the Lord of victory. 



Rebuke your soul as the Lord's prophet doth 
(Psalm xlii.): " Why art thou cast down, O my 
soul! why art thou disquieted within me?" 
That was the word of a man who was at the 



LIGHT FOE THE JOUENEY. 53 

very overgoing of the brae and mountain, but 
God held a grip of him. Swim through your 
temptations and troubles, to be at that lovely, 
amiable Person, Jesus, to whom your soul is dear. 
In your temptations run to the promises ; they be 
our Lord's branches hanging over the water, that 
our Lord's silly, half-drowned children may take 
a grip of them. If you let that grip go, you will 
go to the ground. 

I see that grace groweth best in winter. This 
poor, persecuted Kirk, this lily among thorns, 
shall bloom and laugh upon the Gardener ; the 
Husbandman's blessing shall light upon it. 



When we shall come home, and enter to the 

possession of our Brother's fair kingdom, and 

when our heads shall find the weight of the 

eternal crown of glory, and when we shall look 

back to pains and sufferings, then shall we see 

life and sorrow to be less than one step or stride 

from a prison to glory ; and that our little inch 

of time-suffering is not worthy of our first night's 

welcome-home to heaven. 
5* 



54 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Yet I say not this as if our Lord always meas- 
ured afflictions by so many ounce weights, answer- 
able to the grain weights of our guiltiness ; I know 
that he doth in many (and possibly in you) seek 
nothing so much as faith that can endure summer 
and winter in extremity. Oh, how precious to 
the Lord are faith and love, that when threshed, 
beaten, and chased away, and boasted [threat- 
ened], as it were, by God himself, doth yet look 
warm-like, love-like, kind-like, and life-like, 
home-over to Christ and would be in at him, ill 
and well as it may be. 



Sin not in your trials, and the victory is yours. 



Be honest, brother, in your bargaining with 
him ; for who knoweth better how to bring up 
children than our God? For (to lay aside his 
knowledge, of the which there is no finding out) 
he hath been practiced in bringing up his heirs 
these five thousand years, and his bairns are all 
well brought up, and many of them are honest 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 55 

men now at home, up in their own house in 
heaven, and are entered heirs to their Father's 
inheritance. Now, the form of his bringing-up 
was by chastisements, scourging, correcting, nur- 
turing ; and see if he maketh exception of any 
of his bairns. No ; his eldest Son and his Heir, 
Jesus, is not excepted (Heb. ii. 10). Suffer we 
must ; ere we were born, God decreed it, and it 
is easier to complain of his decree than to 
change it. 



Cold is northern love, but Christ and I will 
bear it. 



Till ye be in heaven, it will be but foul 
weather — one shower up, and another down. 
The lintel stone and pillars of the New Jerusa- 
lem suffer more knocks of God's hammer and 
tool than the common side-wall stones ; and if 
twenty crosses be written for you in God's book, 
they will come to nineteen, and that at last to 
one, and after that to nothing. 



56 LIGHT FOR THE JOUKXEY. 

Faith has cause to take courage from our very 
afflictions ; the devil is but a whetstone to sharpen 
the faith and patience of the saints. I know that 
he but heweth and polisheth stones all this time 
for the New Jerusalem. 



Put Christ's love to the trial, and put upon it 
our burdens, and then it will appear love indeed ; 
we employ not his love, and, therefore, we know 
it not. 



I never knew, by nine years' preaching, so 
much of Christ's love as he has taught me in 
Aberdeen, by six months' imprisonment. 



I know that this shower of his free grace be- 
hooved to be on me, otherwise I should have 
withered. I know, also, that I have need of a 
buffeting tempter that grace may be put to exer- 
cise, and I kept low. 

And ye do well not to doubt if the ground- 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 57 

stone be sure, but to try if it be so ; for there is 
great odds between doubting if we have grace, 
and trying if we have grace : — the former may 
be sin, but the latter is good. We are but loose 
in trying our freeholding of Christ, and making 
sure work of Christ. Holy fear is a searching 
of the camp, that there be no enemy within our 
bosom to betray us, and a seeing that all be fast 
and sure ; for I see many leaky vessels, fair be- 
fore the wind, and professors who take their con- 
version upon trust, and they go on securely, and 
see not the under-water, till a storm sink them. 



Their sin is that they love their inability to 
come to Christ, and he who loveth his chains, 
deserveth chains. 



It is common for men to make doubts, when 
they have a mind to desert the truth. 



If the idol reign, and have the whole of the 
heart, and the keys of the house, and Christ only 



58 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

made an underling to run errands, all is not 
right ; therefore examine well. 



" For we know that all things work together 
for good to them that love God;" ergo, ship- 
wreck, losses, etc., work together for the good of 
them that love God. Hence I infer that losses, 
disappointments, ill-tongues, loss of friends, 
houses, or country, are God's workmen, set on 
work to work out good to you, out of everything 
that befalleth you. Let not the Lord's dealings 
seem harsh, rough, or unfatherly, because it is 
unpleasant. When the Lord's blessed will 
bloweth across your desires, it is best in humility 
to strike sail to him, and to be willing to be led 
any way our Lord pleaseth. 



As for weakness, we have it, that we may 
employ Christ's strength, because of our weak- 
ness. Weakness is to make us the strongest 
things ; that is, when having no strength of our 
own, we are carried upon Christ's shoulders, and 



LIGHT FOB THE JOURNEY. 59 

walk, as it were, upon his legs; if our sinful 
weakness swell up to the clouds, Christ's strength 
will swell up to the sun, and far above the 
heaven of heavens. 



We see his working and we sorrow. The end 
of his counsel and working lieth hidden, and 
underneath the ground, and therefore we cannot 
believe. Even amongst men, we see hewn 
stones, timber, and a hundred scattered parcels 
and pieces of an house ; all under-tools, hammers, 
axes, and saws ; yet the house, the beauty and 
ease of so many lodgings and ease-rooms, we 
neither see nor understand for the present ; these 
are but in the mind and head of the builder as 
yet. We see red earth, unbroken clods, furrows, 
and stones; but we see not summer lilies, roses, 
and the beauty of a garden. If ye give the Lord 
time to work (as often he that belie veth not 
maketh haste, but not speed), his end is under 
ground. 

Faith is the better of the free air, and of the 



60 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

sharp winter storm in its face. Grace withereth 
without adversity. The devil is but God's 
master-fencer, to teach us to handle our weapons. 



I rejoice that he has come and has chosen you 
in the furnace; it was even there where he and ye 
set tryst. That is an old gate [custom] of Christ's ; 
he keepeth the good old fashion with you that 
was in Hosea's days (Hosea ii. 14). " Therefore 
behold, I will allure her, and bring her to the 
wilderness, and speak to her heart." There was 
no talking to her heart, while he and she were 
in the fair flourishing city, and at ease; but out 
in the cold, hungry, waste wilderness, he 
allureth her; he whispered news into her ear 
there, and said, " Thou art mine." What would 
ye think of such a bode [offer] ? 



PILGRIM CROSSES. 

And be that taketh not his cross, and followeth after uie, is not 
worthy of me.— Matthews. 38. 

Blessed are they who are content to take 
strokes with weeping Christ ; faith will trust the 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 61 

Lord and is not hasty or headstrong : neither is 
faith so timorous as to flatter a temptation, or to 
bud and bribe the cross. It is little up or little 
down that the Lamb and his followers can get 
no law-surety, nor truce with crosses ; it must be 
so, till we are up in our Father's house. 



Christ hath borne the whole complete cross, 
and his saints bear but bits and chips: as the 
apostle saith, "the remnants" or "leavings" of 
the cross (Col. i. 24). 



Joy, much joy may ye have of him ; but take 
his cross with him cheerfully. Christ and his 
cross are not separable in this life, howbeit Christ 
and hi3 cross part at heaven's door, for there i3 
no house-room for crosses in heaven. One tear, 
one sigh, one sad heart, one fear, one loss, one 
thought of trouble cannot find lodging there : 
they are but the marks of the Lord Jesus down 
in this wide inn, and stormy country on this side 
of death. 



62 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

I do persuade' myself that ye know that the 
weightiest end of the cross of Christ, which is 
laid upon you, lieth upon your strong Saviour : 
for, Isaiah saith (lxiii. 9.) " In all your afflic- 
tions he is afflicted." O, blessed Second, who 
sufTereth with you ! and glad may your soul be, 
even to walk in the fiery furnace, with one like 
unto the Son of man, who is also the Son of God. 
Courage ! up your heart ! When you do tire, he 
will bear both you and your burden ! (Ps. lv. 
22.) Yet a little while, and ye shall see the sal- 
vation of God. 

Some have written me that I am possibly too 
joyful of the cross, but my joy overleapeth the 
cross — it is bounded and terminated on Christ. 



And believe me, brother, I give it to vou under 
my own hand-writ, that, whoso looketh to the 
white side of Christ's cross, and can take it up 
handsomely with faith and courage, will find it 
such a burden as sails are to a ship or wings to a 
bird. I find that my Lord hath overgilded the 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 63 

black tree, and hath perfumed and oiled it, with 
joy and consolation. 



Christ's cross is neither a cruel nor unkind 
mercy, but the love-token of a father. I am sure 
that a lover chasing us for our well, and to have 
our love, should not be run away from, nor fled 
from. God send me no worse mercy than the 
sanctified cross of Christ portendeth, and I am 
sure that I should be happy and blessed. 



PILGRIM EXERCISES. 

And exercise thyself rather unto godliness. — 1 Timothy iv. 7. 

Remember that ye are in the body, and it is 
the lodging-house, and ye may not, without 
offending the Lord, suffer the old walls of that 
house to fall down, through want of necessary 
food. Your body is the dwelling-house of the 
spirit ; and, therefore, for the love ye carry to the 
Sweet Guest, give a due regard to his house of 
clay. When he looseth the wall, why not ? wel- 



64 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

come, Lord Jesus ! but it is a fearful sin in us, 
by hurting the body by fasting, to loose one 
stone, or the least timber in it ; for the house is 
not our own, the Bridegroom is with you yet ; so 
fast, as that, also, ye may feast and rejoice in 
him. 



Ye have reason to take in good part a lean 
dinner and spare diet in this life, seeing your 
large supper of the Lamb's preparing will recom- 
pense all. 

Ye hold, that Christ must either have hearty 
service, or no service at all. If ye mean that he 
will not half a heart, or have feigned service, 
such as the hypocrites give him, I grant you 
that, — Christ must have honesty or nothiug, — but 
if ye mean he will have no service at all, where 
the heart draweth back in any measure, I would 
not that were true, for my part of heaven, and all 
that I am worth in the world. If ye mind to walk 
to heaven, without a cramp or a crook, I fear that 
ye must go your lone. He knoweth our dross 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 65 

and defects ; and sweet Jesus pitieth us, when 
weakness and deadness in our obedience is our 
cross, and not our darling. 



All the creatures, all the swords, all the hosts 
in Britain, and in this poor globe of the habit- 
able world, are but under him single cyphers 
making no number of the product, being nothing 
but painted men, and painted swords in a brod, 
[board] without influence from him. And oh, 
what of God is in Gideon's sword, when it is the 
sword of the Lord ! 



Ye cannot be too often awakened to go forward 
toward your city, since your way is long, and, 
(for anything ye know) your day is short ; and 
your Lord requireth of you, as ye advance in 
years and steal forward insensibly towards eter- 
nity, that your faith may grow and ripen for the 
Lord's harvest. For the great Husbandman 
giveth a season to his fruits, that they may come 
to maturity ; and having got their fill of the tree 



66 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

that they may be then shaken, and gathered in 
for his use. 



I have now made a new question whether 
Christ is more to be loved for giving sanctifica- 
tion, or for free justification ? I hold that he is 
more and most to be loved for sanctification. It 
is in some respect greater love in him to sanctify 
than to justify ; for he maketh us most like him- 
self, in his own essential portraiture and image 
in sanctifying us. Justification doth but make 
us happy, which is to be like angels only ; neither 
is it such a misery to lie a condemned man, and 
under unforgiven guiltiness, as to serve sin, and 
work the works of the devil; and, therefore, I 
think sanctification cannot be bought, it is above 
price. God be thanked forever, that Christ was 
a told-down price for sanctification. 



I beseech you, in the Lord Jesus, to make every 
day more and more of Christ ; and try your 
growth in the grace of God, and what new ground 
ye win daily on corruption; for travellers are 



LIGHT FOR THE JOUPwNEY. 67 

day by day either advancing farther on, and 
nearer home, or else they go not right about to 
compass their journey. 



PILGEIM SAFETY. 



He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt 
thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. — Psalms 
xci. 4. 

Your life is hid with Christ, in God (Col. iii. 
3), and therefore, ye cannot be robbed of it. Our 
Lord handleth us as fathers do their young chil- 
dren. They lay up jewels in a place above the 
reach of the short arms of bairns, else bairns 
would put up their hands and take them down, 
and lose them soon. So hath our Lord done with 
our spiritual life. Jesus Christ is the high coffer, 
in the which our Lord hath hid our life ; we, chil- 
dren, are not able to reach up our arm so high 
as to take down that life and lose it ; it is in our 
Christ's hands. 

Since all the weight of heaven and earth, of 



OS LIGHT FOR THE JOURXEY. 

redeemed saints and confirmed angels is upon 
his shoulder, I am a fool, and brutish to imagine 
that I can add anything to Christ's special care 
of, and tenderness to his people. He who keepeth 
the basins and knives of his house, and bringeth 
the vessels again to the Second Temple (Ezra i. 
8, 9, 10), must have more tender care of re- 
deemed ones than of a spoon, or of Peter's old 
shoes, which yet must not be lost in his captivity. 
(Acts xii. 8). 

We are not come, as yet, to the mouth of the 
Ked Sea; and howbeit we were, yet for his 
honor's sake he must dry it up. It is our part 
to die gripping and holding fast his faithful 
promise. If the Beast should get leave to ride 
through the land, and to seal such as are his, he 
will not get one lamb with him ; for these are 
secured and sealed as the servants of God. 



God's seed will come to God's harvest 

I persuade myself that the Son of God's wheat 
shall not be blown away. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 69 

Believe his love more than your own feeling, 
for this world can take nothing from you that 
is truly yours, and death can do you no wrong. 
Your rock doth not ebb and How, but your sea. 
That which Christ hath said he will bide by. 



Now if we would ever so fain escape out of 
Christ's hands, yet love hath so bound us that we 
cannot get our hands free again ; he hath so 
ravished our hearts that there is no losing of his 
grips ; the chains of his soul-ravishing love are 
so strong, that the grave nor death will break 
them. 

I am sorry for our desolate kirk ; yet I dare 
not but trust, that so long as there be any of 
God's lost money here, he will not blow out the 
candle. The Lord make fair candlesticks in his 
house and remove the blind lights ! 



The Church hath been, since the world begau, 
ever hanging by a small thread, and all the 
hands of hell and of the wicked have been 



70 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

drawing at the thread; but, God be thanked, 
they only break their arms by pulling ; but the 
thread is not broken, for the sweet ringers of 
Christ our Lord have spun and twisted it. Lord, 
hold the thread whole. 



It is time now that the lambs of Jesus should 
all run together, when the wolf is barking at 
them. 



God grant that in my temptations I come not 
on his wrong side again, and never again fall 
a raving against my Physican in my fever. 



But, I pray you, comfort yourself in the Lord ; 
for a just cause bideth under water only as long 
as wicked men hold their hand above it ; their 
arm will weary, and then the just cause shall 
swim above. 



But truly, I find that we have the advantage 
of the brae upon our enemies : we are more than 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 71 

conquerors, through him who loved us ; and 
they know not wherein our strength lyeth. 



We creep under our Lord's wings in the great 
shower, and the water cannot come through 
those wings. 



Oh, how sweet were one line or half a letter 
of a written assurance under Christ's own hand! 
But this is our assurance daily, that guiltiness 
shall overmist and darken assurance. 



His book keepeth your name, and is not 
printed, and re-printed, and changed, and cor- 
rected. 



It is good that there is a heaven, and it is not 
a night dream and a fancy : it is a wonder that 
men deny not that there is a heaven, as they 
deny there is any way to it but of men's making. 
You have learned of Christ that there is a 
heaven ; contend for it and for Christ. 



~'l LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Providence hath a thousand keys, to open a 
thousand sundry doors for the deliverance of 
his own, when it is ever come to a conclamatwn 
est [all is over]. Let us be faithful, and care 
for our own part, which is to do and suffer for 
him, and lay Christ's part on himself and leave it 
there. 



I see that providence runneth not on broken 
wheels ; but I, like a fool, carved a providence 
for mine own ease, to die in my nest, and to sleep 
still till my gray hairs, and to lie on the sunny 
side of the mountain, in my ministry at An- 
worth ; but now I have nothing to say against a 
borrowed fireside, and another man's house, nor 
Kedar's tents, where I live, being removed far 
from my acquaintance, my lovers, and mv 
friends. I see that God hath the world on his 
wheels, and casteth it as a potter doth a vessel 
on the wheel. I dare not say that there is any 
inordinate or irregular motion in providence. 
The Lord hath done it. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 73 

Oh, what wisdom it is to believe and not to dis- 
pute; and not to repine at any act of his justice. 
He hath done it, all flesh be silent ! It is impos- 
sible to be religiously submissive and patient if 
ye stay your thoughts down among the confused 
rollings and wheels of second causes : as " Oh, 
the place ! " " Oh, the time ! " " Oh, if this had 
been, this had not followed ! " Look up to the 
master-motion and the first wheel ! 



Thank your God who saith (Rev. i. 18,) " I 
have the keys of hell and of death ; " (Deut. xxxii. 
39,) "I kill and I make alive;" (1 Sam. ii. 6,) 
" The Lord bringeth down to the grave and 
bringeth up!" If Satan were jailer, and had 
the keys of death and of the grave, they should 
be stored with more prisoners. Ye were knock- 
ing at these black gates and found the doors 
shut ; and we do all welcome you back again. 
The Lord knew that ye had forgotten something 
that was necessary for your journey ; that your 
armor was not as yet thick enough against the 
stroke of death. Now, in the strength of Jesus, 
7 



74 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

dispatch your business; that debt is not forgiven 
but fristed [credited]; death hath not bidden 
you farewell, but has only left you for a short 
season. End your journey ere the night come 
upon you, have all in readiness against the time 
that ye must sail through that black and im- 
petuous Jordan ; and Jesus, Jesus who knoweth 
both those depths and the rocks, and all the 
coasts, be your pilot. The last tide will not wait 
for you one moment; if ye forget anything when 
your sea is full and your foot in that ship, there 
is no returning to fetch it. What ye do amiss 
in your life to-day ye may amend it to-morrow ; 
for as many suns as God maketh to arise upon 
you ye have as many new lives; but ye can die 
but once, and if ye mar or spill [spoil] that busi- 
ness ye cannot come back to mend that piece of 
work again. No man sinneth twice in dying ill. 
Ye see how the number of your months is 
written in God's book ; and as one of the Lord's 
hirelings ye must work till the shadow of the 
evening come upon you, and ye shall run your 
glass even to the last pickle [grain] of sand. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 75 

PILGEIM DESIKES. 

And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the 
earth. 

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a 
country. — Heb. xi. 13, 14. 

Oh, for a long play-day with Christ, and our 
long-lasting vacance [vacation] of rest! Glad 
may their souls be that are safe over the firth, 
Christ having paid the fraught [freight.] Happy 
are they who have passed their hard and weari- 
some time of apprenticeship, and are now free- 
men and citizens in that joyful, high city, the 
New Jerusalem. Alas ! that we should be glad 
of and rejoice in our fetters, and our prison- 
house, and this dear inn, a life of sin, where we 
are absent from our Lord and so far from our 
home. 



I would give him my bond, under my faith 
and hand, to frist [postpone] heaven a hundred 
years longer, so being, he would lay his holy 
face to my sometimes wet cheeks. Oh, who 
would not pity me, to know him fain I would 



76 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

have the King shaking the tree of life upon me, 
or letting me into the well of life with my old 
dish, that I might be drunken with the fountain, 
here, in the house of my pilgrimage ! I cannot, 
nay, I would not, be quit of Christ's love. 

Lord, give the thirsty man a drink. Oh, to 
be over the ears in the well ! Oh, to be swat- 
tering and swimming over head and ears in 
Christ's love! I would not have Christ's love 
entering into me, but I would enter into it, and 
be swallowed up of that love. But I see not 
myself here ; for I fear I make more of his love 
than of himself; whereas himself is far beyond 
and much better than his love. 



And be content, and withal greedily covetous 
of grace, the interest and pledge of glory. 



Oh, how sweet to be wholly Christ's and wholly 
in Christ ! to be out of the creature's owning and 
iade complete in Christ ; to live by faith in Christ, 



m 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 77 

and to be, once for all, clothed with the created 
majesty and glory of the Son of God, wherein 
he maketh all his friends and followers sharers ; 
to dwell in Immanuel's high and blessed land, 
and live in that sweetest air where no wind 
bloweth but the breathings of the Holy Ghost ; 
no seas nor floods flow, but the pure waters of life, 
that proceedeth from under the throne and from 
the Lamb ; no planting, but the tree of Life, that 
yieldeth twelve manner of fruits every month ! 
What do we here but sin and suffer ? Oh, when 
shall the night be gone, the shadows flee away, 
and the morning of that long, long day, without 
cloud or night, dawn ! The Spirit and the bride 
say " Come." Oh, when shall the Lamb's wife 
be ready and say " Come " ? 



PILGEIM JUDGMENT. 

And they that use this -world, as not abusing it ; for the fashion 
of this world passeth away. — 1 Corinthians vii. 31. 

(1 Corinthians vii. 31) : " The countenance or 
fashion of this world passeth away." In which 



78 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

place our Lord compareth it to an image in a 
looking-glass, for it is the looking-glass of Adam's 
sons. Some come to the glass and see in it the 
picture of honor, and but a picture indeed, for 
true honor is to be great in the sight of God ; 
and others see in it riches, and but a shadow 
indeed, for durable riches stand, as one of the 
maids of Wisdom, upon her left hand (Proverbs 
iii. 16) ; and a third sort see in it the face of 
painted pleasures, and the beholders will not 
believe but the image which they see in this glass 
is the living man, till the Lord come and break 
in pieces and remove the face ; and then, like 
Pharaoh awakened, they say: "And behold, it 
was a dream." 



Be like the fresh river which keepeth its own 
sweet taste in the salt sea. This world is not 
worthy of your souls, give it not a good-day, 
when Christ cometh into competition with it. Be 
like one of another country. Home ! and stay 
not ; for the sun is fallen low, and nigh the tops 
of the mountains, and the shadows are stretched 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 79 

out in great length. Linger not by the way. 
The world and sin would train you on, and make 
you turn aside ; leave not the way for them — and 
the Lord Jesus be at the vovage. 



Satan layeth upon men a burden of cares above 
a load, aud maketh a pack-horse of men's souls, 
when they are wholly set upon this world. We 
owe the devil no such service. It were wisdom 
to throw off that load into a mire, and cast all 
our cares over upon God. 



Be greedy of grace. Study above everything 
to mortify your lusts. Oh, but pride of youth, 
vanity, lust, idolizing of the world, and charming 
pleasures, take long time to root them out ! As 
far as ye are advanced in the way to heaven, as 
near as ye are to Christ, as much progress as ye 
have made in the way of mortification, ye will, 
find that ye are far behind, and have most of the 
work before you. When the day of visitation 
cometh, and your old idols come weeping about 



80 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

you, you will have much ado not to break your 
heart : it is the best to give up in time with them, 
so ye could at a call quit your part of this world 
for a drink of water, or a thing of nothing. 
Verily, I have seen the best of this world, a 
moth-eaten, threadbare coat; I purpose to lay it 
aside, being now old and full of holes. Oh, for 
my Father's house above, not made with hands. 



Consider that your idol sins and ye cannot go 
to heaven together ; and that they who will not 
part with these cannot indeed love Christ at the 
bottom, but only in word and show, which will 
not do the business. 



Bits of lordships are little to him who hath 
many crowns on his head, and the kingdoms of 
the world in the hollow of his hand. Court, 
honor, glory, riches, stability of houses, favor of 
princes, are all on his finger ends. 



We seek to thaw our frozen hearts at the cold 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 81 

smoke of the short-timed creature, and our souls 
gather neither heat nor light; for these cannot 
give to us what they have not in themselves. 



Let all the world be nothing, (for nothing was 
their seed and mother) and let God be all things. 



As for friends, I will not think the world to be 
the world if that well go not dry. I trust in God 
to use the world as a canny, or cunning master 
doth a knave-servant, (at least, God give me 
grace to do so ;) he giveth him no handling nor 
credit, only he entrusteth him with common 
errands, wherein he cannot play the knave. I 
pray God that I may not give the world the 
credit of my joys, and comforts, and confidence — 
that were to put Christ out of his office. 



Join as ye do with Christ ; he is more worth 
to you and your posterity than this world's may- 
flowers, and withering riches and honor, that 



82 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

shall go away as smoke, and vanish in a night 
vision, and shall, in one half-hour after the blast 
of the Archangel's trumpet, lie in white ashes. 
Draw by the lap of time's curtain, and look in 
through the window, to great and endless eter- 
nity, and consider if a worldly price (suppose this 
little round clay globe of this ashy and dirty 
earth, the dying idol of the fools of this world, 
were all your own), can be given for one smile 
of Christ's God-like and soul-ravishing counte- 
nance, in that day when so many joints and knees 
of thousand thousands wailing shall stand before 
Christ, trembling, shouting, and making their 
prayers to hills and mountains, to fall upon them, 
and hide them from the face of the Lamb. Oh, 
how many w T ould sell lordships and kingdoms 
that day and buy Christ ! Eut, oh, the market 
shall be closed and ended ere then ' 

Nay, I think that this world, at its prime and 
perfection, when it is come to the top of its excel- 
lency, and to the bloom, might be bought with an 
half-penny ; and that it would scarce weigh the 



LIGHT FOE THE JOURNEY. 83 

worth of a drink of water. There is nothing 
better than to esteem it our crucified idol, that is 
dead and slain, as Paul did, (Galatians vi. 14). 
Then let pleasures be crucified, and riches be 
crucified, and court and honor be crucified. 



This world looketh not like heaven, and the 
happiness that our tried souls would be at ; and, 
therefore, it were good to seek about for the wind, 
and hoist up our sails toward our New Jerusa- 
lem, for that is our best. 



PILGEIM CHOICE. 



Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go ? 
thou hast the words of eternal life.— John vi. 68. 

Then after this day convene all lovers before 
your soul, and give them their leave ; and strike 
hands with Christ that thereafter there may be no 
happiness to you but Christ; no hunting for any- 
thing but Christ ; no bed at night when death Com- 
eth, but Christ — Christ, Christ, who but Christ! 



84 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

I know this much of Christ, that he is not ill to 
be found, nor lordly of his love. Woe had been 
my part of it forevermore, if Christ had made a 
dainty of himself to me. But God be thanked, 
I gave nothing for Christ ; and now I protest 
before men and angels, that Christ cannot be 
exchanged, that Christ cannot be sold, that 
Christ cannot be weighed. "Where would angels, 
or all the world find a balance to weigh him in ? 
Ail lovers blush when ye stand beside Christ ! 
Woe upon all love but the love of Christ ; hunger, 
hunger forevermore be upon all heaven but 
Christ; shame, shame forevermore be upon all 
glory but Christ's glory! I cry death, death 
upon all lives, but the life of Christ. Oh, what 
is it that holdeth us asunder! oh, that once we 
could have a fair meeting! 



And, go withersoever ye will, if your Lord go 
with you, ye are at home; and your lodging is 
ever taken before night, so long as he, who is 
Israel's dwelling-house is your home (Psalm 
xc. 1). 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 85 

Nay, he is unchangeable, and the same this 
year that he was the former year. And his Son 
Jesus, who upon earth ate and drank with pub- 
licans and sinners, . . . and put out his 
holy hand and touched the leper's filthy skin, and 
came evermore nigh sinners, even now in glory, 
is yet that same Lord : his honor and his great 
court in heaven have not made him forget his 
poor friends on earth ; in him honors change not 
manners, and he doth yet desire your company. 



Our love to him should begin on earth, as it 
shall be in heaven. For, as the bride taketh 
not by a thousand degrees so much delight in 
her weddiug-garment as she doth in her bride- 
groom, so we in the life to come, howbeit, clothed 
with glory as with a robe, shall not be so much 
affected with the glory that goeth about us as 
with the Bridegroom's joyful face and presence. 



And my own mind is, that if comparison were 
made betwixt Christ and heaven, I would sell 



86 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

heaven, with my blessing, to buy Christ. Oh, if 
I could raise the market for Christ, and heighten 
the market a pound for a penny, and cry up 
Christ in men's estimation ten thousand talents 
more than men think of him ! But they are 
shaping him, and crying him down their un- 
worthy half-penny; or else exchanging and 
bartering Christ with the miserable old fallen 
house of this vain world. 



What iron gates or bars are able to stand it 
out against Christ? for when he bloweth they 
open to him. 

Go where ye will, your soul shall not sleep 
sound but in Christ's bosom. Come in to him, 
and rest you on the slain Son of God, and in- 
quire for him. He hath made me a king over 
the world. Princes cannot overcome him. 



I think the angels may blush to look upon 
him; and what am I, to defile such infinite 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 87 

brightness with my sinful eyes ! Oh, that Christ 
would come near, and stand still and give me 
leave to look upon him ! for to look seemeth the 
poor man's privilege, since he may for nothing 
and without hire behold the sun. I should have 
a king's life, if I had no other thing to do than 
forevermore to behold and eye my fair Lord Jesus ; 
nay, suppose I were holden out, at heaven's fair 
entry, I should be happy for evermore to look 
through a hole in the door, and see my dearest 
and fairest Lord's face. Oh, great King, why 
standest thou aloof? 



Make him welcome, since he is come. " The 
wind bloweth where it listeth," all the world's 
wit cannot perfectly render a reason why the 
wind should be a month in the east, six weeks, 
possibly, in the west, and the space only of an 
afternoon in the south or north. You will not 
find out all the nicks and steps of Christ's way 
with a soul, do what you can. 



I know that as night and shadows are good for 



88 LIGHT FOR THE JOURXEY. 

flowers, and moonlight and dews are better than 
a continual sun, so is Christ's absence of special 
use, and that it hath some nourishing virtue in 
it, and giveth sap to humility, and putteth an 
edge on hunger, and furnisheth a fair field to 
faith to put forth itself, and to exercise its 
fingers in gripping it seeth not what. 



Put the beauty of ten thousand thousand 
worlds of paradises, like the Garden of Eden, in 
one; put all trees, all flowers, all smells, all 
colors, all tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all love- 
liness in one; oh, what a fair and excellent thing 
this would be ; and yet it would be less to that 
dear and fairest well-beloved Christ, than one 
drop of rain to the whole seas, rivers, lakes, and 
fountains of ten thousand earths. Oh, but 
Christ is heaven's wonder and earth's wonder! 
What marvel that his Bride saith, " He is al- 
together lovely " ! 

Oh, so long a chapter, or rather, so long a vol- 
ume as Christ is, in that divinity of glory ! 



LIGHT GOR THE JOURNEY. Si* 

There is no more of him let down now, to be 
seen and enjoyed by his children, than as much 
as may feed hunger in this life, but not satisfy it. 

I fear that I adore his comforts more than 
himself, and that I love the apples of life better 
than the Tree of Life. 



I had rather that a cloud .went over my com- 
forts by these messages than that my faith should 
be hurt ; for if my Lord get no wrong by me, 
verily, I desire grace, not to care what become 
of me. 



But I wish he would give me grace to learn to 
go on my own feet, and learn to do without his 
comforts, and to give thanks and believe, when 
the sun is not in my firmament, and when my 
Well-beloved is from home, and gone on another 
errand. 



I but lie here living upon his love ; but cannot / 
get so much of it as I fain would have ; not be- 



8* 



90 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

cause Christ's love is lordly, and looketh too high, 
but because I have a narrow vessel to receive his 
love, and I look too low. 



There is more to be had of Christ in this life 
than I had believed ! We think all is but a 
little earnest, a four-hours' [afternoon refresh- 
ment] a small tasting, which we have, or that is 
to be had of Christ in this life (which is true 
compared with the inheritance) : but yet I know 
it is more, it is the kingdom of God within U3. 



God hath made many fair flowers, but the 
sweetest of them all is heaven, and the flower of 
all flowers is Christ. Oh, why do we not flee up 
to that lovely one ? Alas, that there is such a 
scarcity of love, and lovers of Christ among us ! 



Oh, that our eyes and our soul's smelling 
should go out after a blasted, and sun-burnt 
flower, even this plastered fair-outsided world ; 
and then we have neither eye nor smell for the 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 91 

Flower of Jesse, for that Plant of Renown, for 
Christ, the choicest, fairest, the sweetest rose that 
ever God planted ! 

And what an excellent smell doth Christ cast 
on his lower garden, where there grow but wild 
flowers, if we speak by way of comparison ; but 
there is nothing but perfect garden flowers in 
heaven, and the best plenishing that is there is 
Christ. We are all obliged to love heaven for 
Christ's sake. He is a Rose that beautifieth all 
the upper garden- of God — a leaf of that rose of 
God for smell is worth a world. 



Let your soul put away your old loves, and 
let Christ have your whole love. 



I see Christ's love is so kingly that it will not 
abide a marrow [a companion] ; it must have a 
throne all alone in the soul. And I see that 
apples beguile bairns, howbeit they may be worm- 
eaten; the moth-eaten pleasures of this world 



92 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

make bairns believe ten is a hundred ; and yet 
all are shadows. 



And for myself, I am pained at the heart, that 
I cannot find myself disposed to leave myself, 
and go wholly into Christ. Alas, that there 
should be one bit of me out of him, and that we 
leave too much liberty and latitude for ourselves, 
and our own ease, and credit, and pleasures, and 
so little room for all-love-worthy Christ. 



The Bridegroom himself is better than all the 
ornaments that are about him. 



PILGKIM EEST. 

For we which have believed do enter into rest.— Hebrew iv. 3. 

I know that in spiritual confidence the Devil 
will come in, as in all other good works, and cry, 
" Half mine!" and so endeavor to bring you under 
a fearful sleep, till he, whom your soul loveth, be 
departed from the door and have left off knock- 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 93 

ing ; and, therefore, here the Spirit of God must 
hold your soul's feet in the golden mid-line, be- 
twixt confident resting in the arms of Christ and 
presumptuous and drowsy sleeping in the bed 
of fleshly security. 



Oh, if we could take pains for the kingdom of 
heaven ! but we sit down upon some ordinary 
marks of God's children, thinking we have as 
much as will separate us from a reprobate, and 
thereupon we take the play and cry " Holiday," 
and thus the Devil casteth water on our fire and 
blunteth our zeal and care. 



The Lord send us to the shore out of all the 
storms, "with our silly souls whole and sound with 
us; for if liberty of conscience come, as is ru- 
mored, the best of us all will be put to our wits 
to seek how to be freed. But we shall be of 
those who have their chamber to go in unto 
spoken of (Isaiah xxvi. 20). Read the place 
yourself, and keep you within your house till the 
storm be past. 



94 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Your faith may be boldly charitable of Christ, 
that however matters go, the worst shall be a 
tired traveler, and a joyful and a sweet welcome 
home. The back of your winter-night is broken. 
Look to the east, the day-sky is breaking ; think 
not that Christ loseth time or lingereth unsuit- 
ably. Oh, fair, fair and sweet morning ! We 
are but as sea-passengers ; if we look right we 
are upon our country coast. 



I believe that the Lord tackleth his ship often 
to fetch the wind, and that he purposeth to bring 
mercy out of your sufferings and silence, which 
(I know from mine own experience) is grievous 
to you. Seeing that he knoweth our willing 
mind to serve him, our wages and stipend is run- 
ning to the fore, with our God, even as some sick 
soldiers get pay when they are bedfast, and not 
able to go to the field with others. " Though 
Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in 
the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my 
strength." (Isaiah xlix. 5). 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 95 

Christ seemed to cast me over the dyke of 
the vineyard as a dry tree, and separated me 
from the Lord's inheritance ; but high, high and 
loud praises be to our royal crowned King in 
Zion, that hath not burnt the dry branch. I 
shall yet live, and see his glory. 



PILGRIM FAEE. 



He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat : and 
with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.— Psalm 
lxxxi. 16. 

The silly [poor] stranger in an unco [strange] 
country, must take with smoky inn, and coarse 
cheer, and a hard bed, and a barking, ill-tongued 
host. It is not long to-day, and he will be to his 
journey to-morrow, and leave them all. In- 
deed, our fair morning is at hand, the day-star is 
near the rising, and we are not many miles from 
home ; what matter of ill entertainment in the 
smoky inn of thi3 miserable life ? We are not to 
stay here, and we shall be dearly welcome to him 
whom we go to. 



96 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Christ's honey-combs drop so abundantly , that 
they sweeten my gall. 



Would ye have more than the Son of God? 
and ye have him already; and ye shall be fed 
by the carver of the meat, be that who he will ; 
and those that are hungry look more to the meat 
than to the carver. 



God never thought this world a portion 
worthy of you ; he would not even you to a gift 
of dirt and clay; nay, he will not give you Esau's 
portion ; but reserve the inheritance of Jacob for 
you. 

We buy our own sorrow, and we pay dear for 
it, when we spend our love, our joy, our desires, 
our confidence, upon a handful of sun and ice, 
which time shall melt away to nothing, and go 
thirsty out of a drunken inn, when all is done. 
Alas, that we enquire not for the clear fountain! 
but are so foolish as to drink foul, muddy waters, 
even until our bed-time. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 97 

Oh, what I want ! I want so many things 
I am almost asking if I have anything at all. 
Every man thinketh he is rich enough in grace 
till he take out his purse, and tell his money, 
and then he findeth his pack but poor and light 
in the day of a heavy trial. I found that I had 
not enough to bear my expenses, and I should 
have fainted, if want and penury had not chased 
me to the Storehouse of all. 



I know not what to do with Christ ; his love 
surroundeth and surchargeth me. I am bur- 
dened with it, but oh, how sweet and lovely 
is that burden ! I cannot keep it within me : I 
am so in love with his love, that if his love were /\ 
not in heaven, I should be unwilling to go 
thither. Oh, what weighing and telling is in 
Christ's love. 

A misty dew will stand for rain and do some 
good, and keep some greenness in the herbs, till 
our Lord's clouds rise upon the earth, and send 
down a watering of rain. Truly, I think Christ's 



98 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

misty dew a welcome message from heaven, till 
mv Lord's rain fall. 



The cooling well-spring, and refreshment from 
the promises, are more than the frownings of the 
furnace. . . . hold a distance from carnal com- 
positions ; and much nearness to the Fountain, to 
the favor and refreshing light from the Father 
of Lights speaking in his oracles : this is sound 
health and salvation. 



Why none cometh dry from David's well. 
Let us go among the rest, and cast down our 
toom [empty] buckets into Christ's ocean. 



But suppose my wishes were poor, he is not 
poor ; Christ, all the season of the year is drop- 
ping sweetness. If I had vessels I might fill 
them, but my old, riven, and running-out dish, 
even when I am at the well, can bring little 
away. Nothing but glory will make tight and 
fast our leaking and rifty vessels. How little of 
the sea can a child carry in his hand ! As little 



LIGHT FOE THE JOURNEY. 99 

I dow [am able] to take away of my great sea, 
my boundless and running-over Christ Jesus. 



All our songs should be of his free grace. We 
are but too lazy and careless in seeking of it ; it 
is all our riches we have here, and glory in the 
bud. I wish that I could set out free grace. I 
was the Law's man, and under the law, and 
under a curse ; but grace brought me from 
under that hard load,. and I rejoice that I am 
grace's freeholder. I pay tribute to none for 
heaven, seeing my land and heritage holdeth of 
Christ, my new King 



My Lord now hath given me experience, 
(howbeit weak and small) that our best fare here is 
hunger. We are but at God's by-board in this 
lower house, we have cause to long for supper 
time, and the high table, up in the high palace ; 
this world deserveth nothing, but the outer court 
of our soul. Lord, hasten the marriage-supper 
of the Lamb. 



100 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

Take with you in your journey what ye may 
carry with you — your conscience, faith, hope, 
patience, meekness, goodness, brotherly kindness, 
for such wares as these are of great price in the 
high and new Country whither ye go. As for 
other things, which are but the world's vanity 
and trash, since they are but the house-sweepings, 
ye will do best not to carry them with you. Ye 
found them here, leave them here, and let them 
keep the house. 

God send a joyful meeting ; and in the mean- 
time the traveler's charges for the way, I mean a 
burden of Christ's love to sweeten the journey 
and to encourage a breathless runner ) for when 
I lose breath climbing up the mountain, he 
maketh new breath. 



Christ once condemned sin in the flesh, and we 
are to condemn it over again. And if there had 
not been such a thing as the grace of Jesus, I 
should long since have given up with heaven and 
with the expectation to see God. But grace, 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 101 

grace, free-grace, the merits of Christ for noth- 
ing, white and fair, and large Saviour-mercy 
(which is another sort of thing than creature- 
mercy, or law-mercy, yea, a thousand degrees 
above angel-mercy) have been and must be the 
rock that we drowned souls must swim to. New 
washing, renewed application of purchased re- 
demption, by that sacred blood that sealeth the 
free covenant, is a thing of daily and hourly use 
to a poor sinner. 

And thus I know it shall not stand upon my 
want of money ; for Christ upon his own charges 
must buy my wedding garment, and redeem the 
inheritance which I have forfeited, and give his 
wwds for one the like of me, who am not law- 
biding of myself. Poor folks must either borrow 
or beg from the rich ; and the only thing that 
commendeth sinners to Christ is extreme neces- 
sity and want. Christ's love is ready to make 
and provide ransom-money for a poor body who) 
hath lost his purse : " Ho, ye that have no money, 
come, and bay," (Isaiah lv. 1) — that is the poor 
man's market. 



102 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

I thought the guiding of grace had been no 
art ; I thought it would come of will ; but I 
would spoil my own heaven yet, if I had not 
burdened Christ with all. I but lend my bare 
name to the sweet covenant ; Christ, behind and 
before, and on either side, maketh all sure. 



PILGKIM PERSEVERANCE. 

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one 
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching 
forth unto those things which are before. 

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God 
in Christ Jesus. — Philippians iii. 13, 14. 

Believe me that I find it hard wrestling to 
play fair with Christ, and to keep good quarters 
with him, and to love him in integrity and life, 
and to keep a constant course of sound and solid 
daily communion with Christ : temptations are 
daily breaking the thread of that course, and it 
is not easy to cast a knot again, and many knots 
make evil work. Oh, how fairly have many 
ships been plying before the wind, that in an 






LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 103 

hour's space have been lying at the sea-bottom ! 
How many professors cast a golden lustre, as if 
they were pure gold, and yet are, under that skin 
and cover, base and reprobate metal! And how 
many keep breath in their race many miles, and 
yet come short of the prize and the garland ! 



For worldly things, seeing they are meadows 
and fair flowers in your way to heaven, a smell 
in the by-going is sufficient. He that would 
reckon and tell all the stones in his way in a 
journey of three or four hundred miles, and write 
up in his count-book all the herbs and flowers 
growing in his way, might come short of his 
journey. Ye cannot stay, in your inch of time, 
to lose your day (seeing that ye are in haste ; 
and the night and afternoon will not bide you), 
in setting your heart on this vain world. 



I exhort you in the Lord, to go on in your 
journey to heaven ; and to be content with such 
fare by the way as Christ and his followers have 
had before you ; for they had always the wind on 



104 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

their faces: and our Lord hath not changed the 
way to us for our ease, but will have us following 
our Sweet Guide. Alas, how doth sin clog us in 
our journey and retard us! 



/ Set forward up the mountain to meet with 
God ; climb up, for your Saviour calleth on you. 



" To the overcomer I will give to sit with me 
on my throne, as I overcame and am set down 
with my Father on his throne." Consider, if ye 
are not high up now, and far ben [admitted to 
great familiarity] in the palace of our Lord, 
when ye are upon a throne, in white raiment, at 
lovely Christ's elbow. Oh, thrice fools are we, 
who, like new-born princes weeping in the cradle, 
know not that there is a kingdom before them !. 
Then let our Lord's sweet hand square us, and 
hammer us, and strike off the knots of pride, 
self-love, and world-worship, and infidelity, that 
he may make us stones and pillars in his Father's 
house. 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 105 

PILGEIM HOPES. 

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stead- 
fast, and which entereth into that within the veil. — Hebrew 
vi. 19. 

Surely it cannot be long till day. Nay, hear 
him say, "Behold, I come, my dear Bride ; think 
not long, I shall be at you at once ; I hear you 
and am coming." Amen! Even so, come, Lord 
Jesus, come quickly ; for the prisoners of hope 
are looking out of the prison windows, to see if 
they can behold the King's ambassadors coming 
with the King's warrant, and the keys. 



Ye will whisper it over betwixt yourselves, and 
agree again ; for the anchor-tow abideth fast 
within the veil ; the end of it is in Christ's ten 
fingers — who dare pull if he hold ? " I, the Lord 
thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying, Fear 
not; I will help thee. Fear not, Jacob, (Isa. 
xli: 13, 14.) The seasick passengers will come 
to land — Christ will be the first that will meet 
you on the shore. 



106 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

I cannot think but that at the first sight I shall 
see of that most lovely and fairest face, love will 
come out of his two eyes, and fill me with aston- 
ishment. A borrowed vision in this life would 
be my borrowed and begun heaven till the long- 
looked-for day dawn. It is not for nothing it is 
said, (Col. i. 27,) '"Christ in you the hope of 
glory ! " I will be content of no pawn of heaven 
but Christ himself; for Christ possessed by faith 
here, is young heaven and glory in the bud. 



. A land that has more than four summers in 
in the year ! What a singing life is there ! There 
is not a dumb bird in all that large field, but all 
sing and breathe out heaven, joy, glory, domin- 
ion, to the High Prince of that new-found land ! 
And verily the land is sweeter that he is the 
glory of that land. 

Ye have lost a child — nay, she is not lost to 
you, who is found to Christ; she is not sent 
away, but only sent before ; like unto a star, 
which, going out of our sight, doth not die and 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 107 

vanish, but shineth in another hemisphere ; ye 
see her not, yet she doth shine in another country. 
If her glass was but a short hour, what she want- 
eth of time, that she hath gotten of eternity ; and 
ye have to rejoice that ye have now some plenish- 
ing up in heaven. Build your nest upon no tree 
here ; for ye see that God hath sold the forest to 
death ; and every tree whereupon we would rest, 
is ready to be cut down, to 'the end that we 
might flee, and mount up, and build upon the 
Rock, and dwell in the holes of the Rock. 



But I cannot tell you what is to come ; yet I 
may speak as doth our Lord of it. The founda- 
tion of the city is pure gold, clear as crystal ; the 
twelve parts are set with precious stones : if or- 
chards and rivers commend a soil upon earth, 
there is a paradise there wherein groweth the 
Tree of Life that beareth twelve manner of fruits 
every month, which is seven score and four har- 
vests in the year ; and there is there a pure river 
of water of life proceeding out of the throne of 



108 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

God and the Lamb ; and the city hath no need 
of the light of the sun, or moon, or of a candle ; 
for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are 
the light thereof. Jesus is saying in the gospel, 
'• Come and see ; " and he is come down in the 
chariot of truth, wherein he rideth through the 
world to conquer men's souls (Psalms xlv. 4), 
and is now in the world, saving " Who will go 
with me ? Will ye go ? My Father will make 
you welcome, and give you house-room ; for in 
my Father's house are many dwelling places." 
Madam, consent to go with him. 



Go up beforehand and see your lodging. Look 
through all your Father's rooms in heaven ; in 
your Father's house are many dwelling-places — 
men take a view of lands ere they buy them. 
I know that Christ hath made the bargain al- 
ready ; but be kind to the house ye are going to, 
and see it often. Set your heart on things above, 
where Christ is at the right hand of God. 



I know that ye are minding your sweet country, 



LIGHT FOE THE JOUKNEY. 109 

and not taking your inn (the place of your ban- 
ishment) for your house. This life is not worthy 
to be the thatch or outer wall of the paradise of 
your Lord Jesus, that he did sweat for to you, 
and that he keepeth for you. Short and silly, 
and sand-blind were our hope, if it could not 
look over the water to our best heritage, and if 
it stayed only at home, about the doors of our 
clay house. 



He must go and come, because his infinite 
wisdom thinketh it best for you. We shall be 
together one day. We shall not need to borrow 
light from sun, moon, or candle. There shall be 
no complaints on either side in heaven ; there 
shall be none there but he and we, the Bride- 
groom and the Bride ; devils, temptations, trials, 
desertions, losses, sad hearts, pain and death, shall 
all be put out of play ; and the devil must give 
up his office of tempting. Oh, blessed is the soul 
whose hope hath a face looking straight out to 
that day ! It is not our part to make a treasure 
here; anything under the covering of heaven 
10 



110 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

which we can build upon, is but ill ground and a 
Bandy foundation. 



Our hope is not hung upon such an untwisted 

thread, as " I imagine so," or " It is likely ;" but 
the cable, the strong towe of our fastened anchor, 
is the oath and promise of him who is eternal 
verity ; our salvation is fastened with God's own 
hand and with Christ's own strength, to the 
strong stoup [post] of God's unchangeable nature 
(Malachi iii. 6). 



PILGKIM WAGES. 



Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in 
Leaven.— Matthew v. 12. 

One year's time of heaven shall swallow up 
all sorrows, even beyond all comparison. What 
then will not a duration of blessedness so long as 
God shall live, fully and abundantly recompense? 



His gold is better than yours, and his hundred- 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. Ill 

fold is the income and rent of heaven, and far 
above your revenues : ye are not the first who 
have casten up your accounts that way. Better 
have Christ your factor than any other, for he 
tradeth to the advantage of his poor servants. 
But if the hundred-fold in this life be so well 
told — as Christ cannot pay you with miscounting 
or deferred hope — oh, what must the rent of that 
Land be ! 



Keep that which ye have, ye will get more in 
heaven. 

I would not have believed that there is so 
much in Christ as there is. " Come and see," 
maketh Christ to be known in his excellency and 
glory. I wish all this nation knew how sweet 
his breath is. It is little to see Christ in a book, 
as men do the world in a card [chart] ; they talk 
of Christ, by the book and tongue, and no more ; 
but to come nigh Christ, and embrace him, is 
another thing. 

I know that his comforts are no dreams : he 



112 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

would not put his seal on blank paper, nor de- 
ceive his afflicted ones that trust in him. 



Nay, since I came to Aberdeen, I have been 
taken up to see the New Land, the fair palace 
of the Lamb ; and will Christ let me see heaven 
to break my heart, and never give it to me : I 
shall not think that my Lord Jesus giveth a 
dumb earnest. 



It is the infinite God-head that must allay the 
sharpness of your hunger after happiness ; other- 
wise there shall be a want of satisfaction to your 
desires ; and if he would cast in ten worlds with 
your desires, all shall fall through, and your soul 
will still cry — " Red hunger, black hunger " — 
but I am sure there is sufficient for you in Christ, 
if ye had seven souls and seven desires iu you. 



If God has given you the earnest of the Spirit, 
as part payment of God's principal sum, ye have 
to rejoice ; for our Lord will not lose his earnest, 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 113 

neither will he go back nor repent him of the 
bargain. If ye find sometime a longing to see 
God, joy in the assurance of that sight, howbeit 
that feast be but like the Passover, that cometh 
about only once a year. Peace of conscience, 
liberty of prayer, the doors of God's treasure 
casten up to the soul, and a clear sight of himself 
looking out, and saying, with a smiling counte- 
nance, " Welcome to me, afflicted soul," this is 
the earnest that he giveth sometimes, and which 
maketh glad the heart, and is an evidence that 
the bargain will hold. 



I am believed to be something, and I am 
nothing but an empty reed : wants are my best 
riches, because I have these supplied by Christ. 



I could not wish a sweeter life, or more satis- 
fying expressions of kindness, till I be up at the 
Prince of Kindness, than the Lord's saints find, 
when the Lord taketh up men's refuse, and lodg- 

eth this world's outlaws, whom no man seeketh 
10* 



114 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

after. His breath is never so hot, his love cast- 
eth never such a flame, as when this world, and 
those who should be the helpers of our joy, cast 
- water on our coal. It is a sweet thing to see 
them cast out, and God take in ; and to see 
them thrown away, as the refuse of men, and 
God take us up as his jewels and his treasure. 
Often he maketh gold as dross, as once he made 
the castaway Stone, the Stone rejected by the 
builders, the Head of the corner. The princes 
of this world would not have our Lord Jesus as 
a pinning in the wall, or to have any place in 
the building; but the Lord made him the Master- 
stone of power and place. 



I dare avouch to all that know God, that the 
saints know not the length and largeness of the 
sweet earnest, and of the sweet green sheaves 
before the harvest, that might be had on this side 
of the water, if we would take more pains ; and 
that we all go to heaven with less earnest, and 
lighter purses of the hoped-for sum, than other- 
wise we might do, if we took more pains to win 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 115 

further in upon Christ, in this pilgrimage of our 
absence from him. 



Half a draught, or a drop of the wine of con- 
solation, that is up at our banqueting house, out 
of Christ's own hand, would make our stomachs 
loathe the brown bread and the sour drink of a 
miserable life. Oh, how far are we bereaved of 
wit, to chase, and hunt, and run, till our souls be 
out of breath, after a condemned happiness of 
our own making. 



Kemember when the race is ended, and the 
play either won or lost, and ye are in the utmost 
circle and border of time, and shall put your 
foot within the march of eternity, and all your 
good things of this short night-dream shall seem 
to you like the ashes of a bleeze of thorns or 
straw, and your poor soul shall be crying, " Lodg- 
ing, lodging for God's sake !" then shall your soul 
be more glad at one of your Lord's lovely and 
homely smiles, than if you had the charter of 
three worlds for all eternity. 



116 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

I perceive we frist [postpone] all our joys to 
Christ, till he and we be in our own house above, 
as married parties — thinking that there is noth- 
ing of it here to be sought or found, but only 
hope and fair promises ; and that Christ will 
give us nothing here but tears, sadnesses, and 
crosses ; and that we shall never feel the smell 
of the flowers of that high garden of paradise 
above till we come there. Nay, but I find that 
it is possible to find young glory, and a young, 
green paradise of joy, even here. 



Is it not great art and incomparable wisdom in 
my Lord, who can bring forth such fair apples 
out of the crabbed tree of the cross? Nay, my 
Father's never-enough admired providence can 
make a fair feast out of a black devil. Nothing 
can come wrong to my Lord in his sweet working. 



Necessity must not blush to beg. 



Blessed be my rich Lord Jesus, who sendeth 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 117 

not away beggars from his house with a toom 
[empty] dish. Pie filleth the vessels of such as 
will come and seek. We might beg ourselves 
rich (if we were wise) if we could hold out our 
withered hands to Christ, and learn to suit and 
seek, ask aud knock. 



PILGRIM'S VALUE. 



I will make a man more precious than fine gold : even a man 
than the golden wedge of Ophir. — Tsaiah xiii. 12. 

Gold may be gold and bear the king's stamp 
upon it, when it is trampled upon by men. 



God be thanked, that this world has not power 
to cry us down so many pounds, as rulers cry 
down light gold or light silver ; we shall stand 
for as much as our Master-coiner, Christ, whose 
coin, arms, and stamp we bear, will have us — 
Christ hath no miscarrying balance. 



We forget that as our gifts and light grow, so 



118 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

God's gain, and the interests of his talents should 
grow also. 



PILGRIM END. 



Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive 
me to glory.— Psalm lxxiii. 24. 

If our dear Lord pluck up one of his roses, and 
pull down sour and green fruit before the harvest, 
who can challenge him? for he sendeth us to his 
world, as men to a market, wherein some stay 
many hours, and eat and drink, and buy and 
sell, and pass through the fair till they be weary; 
and such are these who live long, and get a 
hearty fill of this life ; and others again come 
slipping in to the morning market, and do neither 
sit nor stand, nor buy nor sell, but look about 
them a little, and pass presently home again; 
and these are infants and young ones, who end 
their short market in the morning, and get but a 
short view of the fair. Our Lord, who hath 
numbered man's months and set him bounds that 
he cannot pass, hath written the length of our 



LIGHT FOE, THE JOUPwNEY. 119 

market ; and it is easier to complain of the decree 
than to change it. 



Write up your depursements [disbursements] I 
for your Master, Christ, and keep count of what 
ye give out, whether name, credit, goods, or life, 
and suspend your reckoning till nigh the even- 
ing ; and remember that a poor weak servant of 
Christ wrote it to you, that ye shall have Christ, 
a King, caution [surety] for your incomes and \ 
and all your losses. Reckon not from the fore- ^ 
noon. Take the word of God for your warrant, 
and for Christ's act of cautionry [suretyship] 
howbeit, body, life, and goods go for Christ your 
Lord, and though ye should lose the head for 
him ; yet there shall not one hair of your head I 
perish ; in patience therefore possess your soul. 



Violent death is a sharer with Christ in his 
death, which was violent. It maketh not much 
what way we go to heaven ; the happy home is 
all, where the roughness of the way shall be for- 
gotten. He is gone home to a Friend's house, and 



120 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

made welcome ; and the race is ended ; time is 
recompensed with eternity, and copper with gold. 
God's order is in wisdom. The husband goeth 
home before the wife; and the throng of the 
market shall be over ere it be long, and another 
generation where we now are ; and at length an 
empty house, and not one of mankind, shall be 
upon the earth; within the sixth part of an hour 
after, the earth and the works that are therein 
shall be burnt up with fire. 



" Such a one I must have, and such a soul I 
cannot live in heaven without," And believe it, 
it is incomprehensible love that Christ saith, "If 
I enjoy the glory of my Father, and the crown 
of heaven far above men and angels, I must use 
all means, though ever so violent, to have the 
company of such a one forever and ever." 



As some corn is not lost, for there is more hope 
of that which is sown than of that which is eaten, 
(1 Cor. xv. 42,) so also is it in the Resurrection 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 121 

of the dead ; " the body is sown in corruption, 
it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in dis- 
honor, it is raised in glory." I hope that ye wait 
for the crop and the harvest, " for if we believe 
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also 
who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 



Death is but an awsome step over time and sin 
to sweet Jesus . Christ, who knew and felt the 
worst of death ; for death's teeth hurt him. We 
know death hath no teeth now, no jaws, for they 
are broken. It is a free prison, citizens pay 
nothing for the grave; the jailor who had the 
power of death, is destroyed : praise and glory 
be to the First-begotten from the dead. 



If death, which is before you and us all, were 
any other thing than a friendly dissolution and a 
change, not a destruction of life, it would seem a 
hard voyage to go through such a sad and dark 
trance [passage], so thorny a valley is the wages 
of sin. But I am confident, the way ye know, 



122 LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 

though your foot never trod in that black 
shadow. The loss of life is gain to you. If 
Christ Jesus be the Period, the End, and Lodg- 
ing-home, at the end of your journey, there is 
no fear, ye go to a Friend. And since ye have 
had a communion with him in this life, and he 
hath a pawn or pledge of yours, even the largest 
share of your love and heart, ye may look death 
in the face with joy. If the heart be in heaven, 
the remnant of you cannot be kept the prisoner 
of the Second Death. But though he be the same 
Christ in the other life that ye found him to be 
here, yet he is so far in his excellency, beauty, 
sweetness, irradiations, and beams of majesty, 
above what he appeared here, when he is seen 
what he is, that ye shall misken him, and he 
shall appear a new Christ. 



Ye would no doubt bestow a day's journey, 
yea, many days' journey, on earth to go up to 
heaven, and fetch down anything of Christ ; how 
much more may ye be willing to make a journev 
to go in person to heaven (it is not lost time, but 



LIGHT FOR THE JOURNEY. 123 

gained eternity), to enjoy the full God-head? 
And then, in such a manner as he is there, not 
in his weekdays' apparel, as he is here with us in 
a drop or tenth-part of a night's dewing of grace 
and sweetness ; but he is there in his marriage- 
robe of glory, richer, more costly, more precious, 
in one hem or button of that garment of Foun- 
tain-majesty than a million of worlds. Oh, the 
well is deep ! Ye shall then think that preachers 
and sinful ambassadors on earth, did but spill 
[spoil] and mar his praises, when they spoke of 
him, and preached his beauty. 






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